USA Launches Paid Expedited Visa Interviews: What It Means for Travelers

The USA is preparing a new paid option for some applicants for B-1/B-2 tourist and business visas: starting July 1, 2026, it will be possible to attempt to obtain an interview within 10 business days for an additional fee of $750 at selected consulates. For travelers, this could be a way to reduce waiting times before trips to the FIFA World Cup 2026, conferences, or family visits, but it is important to understand the main point: an expedited interview does not mean automatic visa approval.

Bloomberg Law reported on the preparation of the temporary rule on June 8, citing US Department of State documents. According to the described model, the additional service should apply specifically to B-1 and B-2 applicants, meaning short-term trips for business, tourism, visiting relatives, participating in events, or medical treatment. It does not replace the standard procedure, does not cancel the DS-160 form, does not remove the consular check, and does not provide an advantage when making the decision to issue a visa.

The news appeared a few days before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will take place from June 11 to July 19 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. In the United States, matches will be hosted by Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area. That is why any changes in the visa procedure now have not only administrative but also tourist significance: the availability of interviews determines how many foreign fans will actually be able to travel to the matches, rather than just buying tickets or booking accommodation.

What Exactly is Changing

According to reports from specialized legal and migration publications, the US Department of State plans a temporary pilot program for B-1/B-2 visa applicants. Its key idea is simple: a person who is already undergoing the standard visa application procedure will be able to pay an additional fee and apply for a faster interview slot at the consulate, if such an option is available in a specific location.

The benchmark mentioned in the publications is an interview within 10 business days. At the same time, this does not mean that every applicant in any country will be able to use the service immediately. The program is intended to operate only in a limited number of consular posts, and the Department of State is to determine the list of such points separately. It is also expected that the number of expedited slots will be limited so that the paid option does not take all the resources from the standard queue.

The basic consular fee for a B-1/B-2 visa, according to Travel.State.Gov, is $185. The $750 fee mentioned in the new rule is to be additional specifically for the expedited appointment of the interview. That is, for the applicant, this is not a "cheaper visa" and not a separate category of entry permit, but a premium time-planning service.

Who Can Benefit From This

The most obvious group is tourists who have a time-bound trip to the USA and cannot wait for months. These could be World Cup 2026 fans, participants of international exhibitions, people with important family events, travelers with an already agreed itinerary, or business visitors who need to arrive on a specific date. For them, the problem often lies not in the application itself, but in the fact that available interview slots in some countries can be very far off.

The official Department of State page on interview wait times explicitly reminds: timelines depend on the application location, season, visa category, load, and the consulate's staffing capabilities. It also emphasizes that applicants should plan their trip in advance and apply early. The new paid option, if it works as described, partially addresses this pain point—it gives a chance for faster access to an officer, but does not change the essence of the visa decision.

For Ukrainian travelers, the practical conclusion is this: if a trip to the USA depends on obtaining a new B-1/B-2, do not treat paid acceleration as a backup plan for the last week. First, it is unclear which consulates will have expedited slots available. Second, administrative processing is possible even after the interview. Third, tickets, hotels, and internal travel in the USA during major events can increase in price significantly faster than visa calendars change.

What This Service Does Not Guarantee

The most important limitation: payment for a faster slot must not affect the chances of obtaining a visa. The consular officer still evaluates the purpose of the trip, the applicant's financial capability, the intention to return after the visit, and other requirements of US law. The Department of State, in its standard explanations regarding visitor visas, emphasizes that the applicant must prove eligibility for the visa, and the visa itself does not guarantee entry into the USA: the final decision upon arrival is made by CBP officers at the port of entry.

Also, the new paid option should not be confused with existing emergency appointments due to extraordinary circumstances. Travel.State.Gov describes that consulates can expedite interviews in cases such as a funeral, medical necessity, or the start of studies, but the procedure depends on the specific institution. The paid pilot, according to preliminary data, is intended to work separately from such humanitarian or truly urgent requests.

Another nuance is that not all travelers to the USA need a B-1/B-2. Citizens of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program can travel for short tourist or business trips without a visa, if they meet the program requirements and have an ESTA authorization. For citizens of countries not in the VWP, including Ukraine, the B-1/B-2 visa remains the standard path for most tourist and short business trips.

Why This is Important Specifically Before World Cup 2026

The FIFA World Cup creates atypical load on the US tourism system. This concerns not only stadiums, but air tickets, hotels, car rentals, internal flights, border procedures, and local transport in host cities. Even if some guests arrive from Canada, Mexico, or countries with visa-free regimes via ESTA, a significant number of fans from other markets depend on consular interviews.

The British Foreign Office, in its travel advice for World Cup 2026, separately advises checking entry rules for the USA, Canada, and Mexico, as the tournament takes place in three countries and requirements may differ. This is important for itineraries where a tourist plans to fly to the USA, then visit a match in Canada or Mexico, and then return to the USA. The visa strategy for such a trip is more complex than for a regular vacation in one city.

For those flying to matches via major American hubs, it is worth checking not only visa timelines but also arrival logistics in advance. Reference pages are available on the site about Atlanta Airport ATL, Los Angeles Airport LAX, Miami Airport MIA, New York Airport JFK, Newark Airport EWR and San Francisco Airport SFO. Before flying, it is also useful to check flight status via online boards, for example for LAX, JFK or ATL.

How Travelers Should Act Now

The first step is to check if a visa is actually needed. If a B-1/B-2 is required, start with the official Department of State website, fill out the DS-160, review the rules of the specific embassy or consulate, and only then plan the payment of fees. Unofficial intermediaries may advertise "guaranteed" slots or "fast approval," but the American procedure itself does not give private services the right to guarantee a result.

The second step is not to buy non-refundable air tickets before the interview timelines and risks are clear. The Department of State, in its standard recommendations, explicitly warns: final travel plans should not be made or tickets purchased before obtaining a visa. For events like the World Cup, this sounds inconvenient, because match tickets and hotels need to be booked early, but the financial risk of refusal or delay remains with the traveler.

The third step is to think through ground logistics. In cities where matches are hosted by large agglomerations, transfer from the airport can be be no less important than the flight itself. For example, travelers can review options for transfers and taxis from LAX, transfers from Miami Airport or car rental in DFW, if the itinerary involves several cities or trips outside the center.

What This Means for the Tourism Market

Paid acceleration of interviews shows that the USA is trying to find a balance between security, consular load, and demand for travel during major events. For the tourism market, this is a signal that visa queues remain one of the key bottlenecks. Airlines can add flights, hotels can open rooms, organizers can sell tickets, but without available interviews, some potential guests simply do not have time to complete the path to the journey.

At the same time, the new model may spark a discussion about fairness of access. For wealthy tourists, $750 may be an acceptable price for a chance to save a trip, while for a family of several people, this becomes a very significant amount. If the paid option becomes popular, the Department of State will have to carefully demonstrate that standard queues are not worsening, and that expedited slots actually add capacity rather than just redistributing it.

Conclusion

For tourists, the news about paid acceleration of B-1/B-2 interviews is a useful but not universal opportunity. It may help those who have limited time before their trip and are willing to pay for faster access to a consular interview. But it does not cancel the requirements for the applicant, does not guarantee a visa, and does not guarantee entry into the USA, and will likely be available not everywhere.

The smartest strategy for trips to the USA in 2026 remains the same: check official rules, apply as early as possible, do not rely on unverified intermediaries, and plan the itinerary so that visa, aviation, and ground risks do not break the entire trip. For World Cup 2026, this is especially relevant: the tournament will last only a few weeks, and a mistake in documents or a late interview can cost significantly more than the consular fee itself.